Hold the Fries

Fed by a leap in calories consumed and lack of physical activity, childhood obesity is a growing epidemic, and school lunches are one culprit, says Nicholas Freudenberg, director of the Doctor of Public Health Program at CUNY School of Public Health at Hunter College. It’s up to the public — individually and by pressuring government to turn the heat up on schools — to control the problem, Prof. Freudenberg says. “Human decisions” are responsible,” he said. “People can unmake those decisions, but it’s not going to happen on its own.” In his lecture, “A Tale of Two Obes-Cities: Comparing London and New York City’s Responses to Childhood Obesity,” part of the Serving Science Cafe Series, he discussed a CUNY-London Metropolitan University study of efforts to improve opportunities for children to consume healthy food and increase activity. Both cities had difficulty implementing changes because of the large number of schools; most continued to dish out pizza, burgers and fries.Listen Now>>